Alfalfa, tree bark, fall fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and grains eaten by horses in the fall help them
naturally prepare for winter with an extra layer of fat and a healthy
winter coat.

By Erica Stoton

Each season brings new
delights, its own beauty and its own rhapsody. As summer slowly wanes
Nature begins to influence flora and fauna, including our equine friends.
Chilly mornings are beginning to capture the attention of the horse, domesticated
or wild. Whether we consciously appreciate these things or not, the emblems
of the seasons can positively influence equine health. God's design of
nature satisfies the wild horse's seasonal requirements but, sadly, the
domestic horse is often deprived of this benefit. Simply considering the
natural requirements of our horses can help owners fulfill and understand
this important yet seldom considered part of equine care.

Those poetically expressed "emblems of the seasons"
found in prose are the sometimes unwanted, often unnoticed plants that
spring forth during certain times of the year. It is not simply random
fate that causes specific plants to present themselves at various times
but rather there is a wonderful purpose in this. Consider the phases that
horses experience throughout the year: In the natural state, the equine
will breed in the summer with gestation lasting through to early or mid-spring
at which time a new cycle ensures the continuum of the species. The mare
is required to nurse her young for about a year's time and the foal must
develop quickly during this period. Following the foal's weaning, the
young horse will begin to mature sexually and continue to grow until it
is four years old. Throughout each year, horses must also prepare themselves
for the changing seasons. By putting on an extra layer of fat and growing
a thick coat in the fall, horses ready themselves for winter. In the spring,
they shed. The seasons follow the cycle of the equine with much needed
natural resources to help in the rigorous changes that must occur in the
animal's body.

Clearly, the horse's body makes enormous changes during
certain times of the year. The thyroid, thalamus, lymph and reproductive
glands must produce hormones necessary for seasonal body chemistry changes
in the correct amounts at the right time. Without proper function during
these times, the equine will experience hormonal disturbances, which can
result in pseudocyosis, hypothyroidism, miscarriage, behavioral problems,
etc. The medicines afforded by nature prevent these difficulties for the
horse who is allowed this simple yet essential key to health - herbs.

In the spring and throughout the summer months good
grazing as well as certain herbs are available to mares at the end of
their gestation. Young red raspberry leaves, ivy, shepherd's purse, clover,
marigold and nettle help tone the uterus, stimulate hormones and enhance
milk production. Many of these herbs are found throughout the summer as
well and have tonic properties beneficial to all horses.

Cleansing, toning, and stimulating herbs are usually
seen from spring to late summer. Such plants include plantain, dandelion,
burdock, sheep sorrel, garlic, wormwood, yarrow, mullein and wild pansy.
These herbs cleanse and tone the lymph system, digestive tract, nervous
system and immune system thereby helping horses stay healthy throughout
the months when parasites and toxins are most prevalent. They also act
as stimulants and equines will have better stamina and energy as a result.

External parasites are common in the warm months but
horses seek out herbs to assist them in preventing this problem. Chickweed,
plantain and mint are a few plants that equines will roll among in order
to resist fleas, ticks, mites and other pests.

In the summer and early fall, horses require various
nutrients to balance hormones through the duration of the breeding season
and to prepare them for the winter. Chamomile, passionflower, valerian,
hops and red raspberry leaves are excellent for mares in estrus and stallions
used for stud. These herbs relieve much of the hyperactivity and aggression
seen in mares in estrus, sexually maturing horses, and breeding stallions.

Alfalfa, tree bark, fall fruits, vegetables, nuts,
and grains are eaten by horses in the fall and early winter. These have
a positive effect on the immune system, cause necessary weight gain and
stimulate hormones for a heavier coat. These foods are highly nutritious
and help maintain your horse's health through the winter into the spring
when nature's cycle starts again.

Various herbs prefer certain parts of North America
and Europe but no matter what part of the world you live in, herbs that
are beneficial to your horse do exist. A good, healthy pasture will not
only contain grass but also seasonal herbs (weeds) and most of these should
be encouraged. The attentive horse owner will take note of herbs beneficial
to the equine and provide these as they were intended to be used. If your
pastures and paddocks are healthy, you should find herbs growing at the
appropriate times but in many cases they must be introduced for the benefit
of your horse. Once herbs are established in a grass pasture they rarely
require any further maintenance.

Although Nature provides the wild equine with beneficial
herbs at just the right time, domestic horses require our initiative if
they are to enjoy the health of their wild ancestors. It is not harmful
for a horse to eat herbs out of season but it can be detrimental if they
do not receive certain plants at all. Many of the behaviour and reproductive
problems seen in horses are caused by hormonal imbalances. Allowing horses
access to herbs that they naturally crave at particular times of the year
can give their bodies the elements needed to prevent and correct hormonal
problems. The equine that grazes daily will seek out and eat the plants
necessary to keep themselves healthy and therefore this aspect of horse
care does not require human intervention. However, in cases where your
horse is not at pasture frequently enough to enjoy seasonal herbs, the
owner should provide herbs as part of the daily diet. Learning about seasonal
herbs and how they affect equines can help owners select the plants that
their horses need throughout the year.

Veterinary medicine is a complex, scientific subject
yet our horses know best what natural medicines they need. Through the
ever-changing seasons the wild equine maintains health without the intervention
of unnatural substances or methods. As we too enjoy the changing seasons
for their own particular beauty, it should be remembered and understood
that each passing equinox holds something vital for our horses too. If
we take time to consider the horse's natural requirements our equine friends
will have better health and contentment through every season.